Monthly Archives: December 2009

we decided to go the long route home from the christmas camp, via hampton court, staying at a premier inn. now, we don’t stay at premier inns, or any other kind, particularly often, perhaps 1ce a year! but BB asked if they were the moon ones, as they are her favourite. [yes!] we made good time, so spent the afternoon at hampton court, having been invited to the royal wedding. we had planned to attend the royal wedding in the summer, with more of the actors and spectacle, but the summer wasn’t as planned really! we still enjoyed it, and perhaps more as there were v few fellow guests, so got to feel important. SB wasn’t entirely sure that the actor wasn’t really HR, as he was big, slightly grumpy, and def had ‘a presence’. BB was persistantly reassured!! but we enoyed it a lot and also the bits on the side about dressing for court, who could wear what etc. both girls thought the bumroll and codpieces funny [haven't told them that bob has a codpiece too ] and the detachable fancy skirts a good idea. when henry and kateryn went off to consummate, we went off for a hot choc and then back to hotel, as with migraine only just under control, felt better to not risk it! usually high standard of room, good night sleep and early start, though opted for big breakfasts, and SB ate as if she had been starved for a week!

so the next day we got there with a plan, the girls wanted to look at the garden and the maze, then the kitchens and sb wanted to do william III’s rooms. so that is mostly what we did, tough did stop at the info bit and pick up some ‘worksheets’ which are actually more fun booklets than dull write things here sheets! we went into the display on the changing face of hampton court, and did loads of talking around things. the statues in the garden are all wrapped up against the cold, which made us giggle a bit! nice lunch at the tiltyard cafe, and race around the maze and on to henry’s kitchens. thought these v nicely presented, and the booklet thingy worthwhile. SB got to turn the spit a bit, and BB pretended her hand was a rat for me to catch could have done with a couple of labels in places. really emphasised the warrenness of the palace, and the fact it mimicked an undercover town in places – v odd, and so unlike the various castles and french palaces. we spent ages there before going to William’s suites. we had seen the dolls house version, so could put that into ‘real life’ but bb started to flag and at 3.30, we thought we had prob seen enough, tho i missed out on the young henry exhibition! a quick shop stop = knights plastic armour for bb [ecstatic] and a horrible history sticker book for SB. noticed more puppetry, but i am going to buy mine from play merrily!

home far too late and realised we had missed judo party, so SB sad.

today was mostly come down after camp, had considered christmas at audley end, but felt a day in was required! we did some christmas crafting tho – candle dipping!!

we went to christmas camp last week with loads of friends. allways a much looked forward to event! we had plenty of cakes and snacks to contribute, and also birthday party stuff for BB, and secret santa stuff for the pretend christmas day! SB had done some fab baking herself, and everyone complimented her or me on her millionaires shortbread as well as cookies.

monday was BB’s ‘party’ and she was v happy with the party games, the prizes and the dalmation birthday cake. she was also lucky enough to receive a variety of lovely presents – i think she just about murmured a thankyou to at least one family member of each of the families giving gifts! the children stayed up late, and the adults even later, catching up with friends and gossiping!

for the adults there was lots of chatting – friend based, advice based and also political – particularly around the shameful eo debacle; game playing – caylus, race to the galaxy and agricola; and just general chilling! the children played in v fluid groups and really nicely, there seemed to be a mix of big groups and then splitting to smaller groups or dyads and then rejoining – all v friendly and natural. SB had a great time, playing with everyone she wanted to! i saw her dsing, racing around, game playing, small dyad playing in private, all seemed v v happy and so i was too. BB took a little longer to warm up, but also enjoyed playing in the bigger group of littlies, with gwenny [aww] and particularly with J from SoTP – v cute!!

crafting was mainly done on the tuesday, with crafts brought by wednesday friends and em in the morning and then by merry and me as TA in the pm. i loved helping with the sorting, painting and stringing up, but the glueing was particularly tedious due to the pva rather than uhu! anyway, they were fab kits! similar to these in fact, and there were lots of puppet games thereafter! chris took the girls and any others for a bike ride as well.

wednesday was a trip out to the south downs planetarium. unfortunately the satnav postcode doesn’t take you there, so we were late. the other unfortunate thing is that one of the rudest volunteers on this planet works there, and was particularly sarcastic and snide and really spoilt the whole trip for at least 1 person, and seriously annoyed several others… but the actual planetarium show was fabulous. we really enjoyed it, and the chap doing it was v skilled in both that and the questions afterwards. Liked SB’s question, which was on whether if you had a big enough star its light could escape black hole. we went off with merry and family for a restorative cafe lunch in chichester in a crypt. lovely food, great behaving girls, and think a charming elderly couple were convinced we were mormons! back intime to get veggie curry going [yum, my favourite!] and watch the talent show, despite merry’s rather temperamental [or just plain mental] satnav! i was really proud of SB playing her clarinet, as she can’t have had it much more than a month [will check back in blog and see] and crazy play by some of the other girls had us in stitches.

thursday is pretend christmas – yes!! lots of fun, a walk across the downs [i am migrainous so stay behind with bb] chatting, baby cuddling etc etc. getting dinner started, putting the world to rights etc etc! kiddies watch a film whilst we adults continue with serious chatting elsewhere! then carols. i love carols, but this year, when playing the carol cd’s for the first time on the way down to sussex i just howled with grief, that this is the first christmas without little nanny, and that it is little nanny’s christmases that set my personal bar and template for what christmas should be. i really really miss little nanny. and that this year my sister will be in florida for christmas, and whilst i am really happy she is having the holiday of a lifetime, i will miss this too… so it was good to play carols altogether in fun and happiness, getting a way for everyone to join in – thank goodness for jan, as i have no clue whatsoever about guitars! christmas dinner done with minimal fuss and angst, and secret santas went with great joy and happiness, we were all happy with both what we gave and what we received – must be the best way really! packed a tired bb into bed, and suggested to sb that if we didn’t notice her, we wouldn’t chase her… [1 am!!] final game play and chatting eve, and sorry to nic and asilon that a maudlin moment was nearly had!

friday a pack up and away, not too painful for anyone but me, miserable with migraine. i do so hate having migraines. sad to be at the end of the week so quickly, waving everyone good bye. thanks to nic and ady for organising, as well as the variety of friends, helpers etc that make it all work

oh, dear, having checked prev post – a longgg time ago!
lets see, well,
thurs would have been nots and tots, with clarinet/recorder ?philosophy?? gym later on.
friday should have been an art session, but the home ed group was locked out, so went to an activity place instead and had loads of fun! loads of baking. various cakes, buns for the camp the next week, and finishing the secret santa gifts.

saturday we had arranged to meet up with a friend from schooldays who i haven’t seen since!we saw a lot of each other at school, doing many of the same subjects, but mostly bcause we both play violin and hared a desk for most of our school days – with lots of giggles as i remember!a lot has changed for both of us since then, and we hadn’t kept up at all, but the wonder of fb reintroduced us! [in a strange but true roundabout way as well!! we agreed to meet up at stanwick lakes, which took us less time than we thought it would, as convenient for her and family, nd looked a good place to cycle. we caught up, had a walk ate some lunch and it was remarkably easy for a 20 year gap!! we won’t leave it so long next time either! after they had gone, our girls were desparate for a cycle ride, so we cycled around before coming home.

sunday was another baking and making and doing day, finally being all ready for camp. sb did 37 of her items this week, and so is v proud! bb did 9.